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Inside Slant, USAToday.com:

TEXANS84

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Inside Slant

The Texans continue to sort out their plans at linebacker.
What they do know: new acquisition Morlon Greenwood fits best at weak-side inside linebacker and second-year pro Jason Babin is set at strong-side outside linebacker.

After that, the Texans must decide where Kailee Wong best fits into the scenario and whether third-year pro Antwan Peek can become a fulltime starter.

The Texans are forced to explore options after inside linebackers Jamie Sharper and Jay Foreman, the team's top tacklers each of the last three years, were told this offseason they are no longer part of the team's plans. Foreman was granted his wish to be released earlier this month and Sharper has permission to seek a trade, although he's likely to be cut at some point if he isn't dealt.

Wong, who has played both outside positions, could be moved inside to Foreman's former spot. That would open an outside position for Peek, or the team could look to upgrade through the draft. Wong plans to meet with coach Dom Capers next week when Capers returns from the NFL owners' meetings. Wong said he hasn't been told where he would play.

"I just want to play," Wong said. "That's the biggest thing. As long as I'm playing, and I get to play a lot of plays, I'm happy. We're going to definitely have to work harder in minicamp to get everyone on the same page."

NOTES, QUOTES

—The offseason decisions to part ways with starting linebackers Jamie Sharper and Jay Foreman, the Texans' leading tacklers each of the past three seasons, came as a surprise to some teammates.

"I'm surprised on one hand, but on one hand I'm not," cornerback Aaron Glenn said. "In this business, people come and go real quick and you have to fly with it. Hopefully, the people who come in are going to step in and pick up where those guys left off."

—Texans quarterback David Carr and his wife, Melody, welcomed their third son during the offseason.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It seems like the time went by real fast but it's your job so when it's time to go, you have to be ready." - Wide receiver Andre Johnson on the start of the Texans' off-season conditioning program.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

NEEDS/DREAFT PRIORITIES

1. Pass protection. The Texans must do a better job of shielding quarterback David Carr, who was sacked 49 times during 2004 and 140 times in the past three seasons. The Texans were preparing to make a run for left tackle Walter Jones until he signed a multi-year deal to remain with the Seahawks. Buffalo's Jonas Jennings would be a significant upgrade over incumbent Seth Wand. Otherwise, Florida State's Alex Barron and Oklahoma's Jammal Brown are considered the best tackles in the draft.

2. Cornerback. You can never have enough talented corners, especially with Indianapolis residing in the AFC South. Aaron Glenn will be 33 by the time the season starts and it's a deep draft at the position. Imagine getting another one like last year's first round pick Dunta Robinson. Having two terrific cover corners would allow the Texans to do a lot of things with their linebackers and safeties.

3. Wide receiver. Andre Johnson became a Pro Bowl receiver in 2004 but was often neutralized by opponents who thought they could over-commit to Johnson's side of the field because the Texans' lack another reliable deep threat. A free agent such as Jerry Porter (Oakland) or Plaxico Burress (Pittsburgh) would help, although neither will come cheap. Michigan's Braylon Edwards and former USC star Mike Williams are the top receivers in the draft.


usatoday.com Inside Slant article on the Texans
 
I am 100% behind the draft priorities. Only one thing bugs me from that article: What does Carr's 3rd kid half to do with anything? Dont get me wrong, I congradulate him but it doesn't fit the article.
 
Inside Slant, USAToday.com:

The Texans have many needs. Pass protection, and Linebacker help. The moon reflects light from the sun.

Now back to the Texans...

j/k
 
The Texans made an aggressive play for Rams OLT Orlando Pace but were left empty-handed when he signed a lucrative new contract to stay in St. Louis. What does this mean for Houston? Barring an impact addition via free agency or the draft, we’re told the team is likely to give Seth Wand another shot at left tackle. Wand started at left tackle last season, but he had some problems in pass protection. Last month, Texans general manager Charley Casserly said he liked Wand’s potential. “Seth Wand, I think, is a young guy who played a year ahead of time,” he said. “We like him. He’s a good prospect. We’re happy to have him. He’s going through a learning curve. I think he’s done a good job, and I think he’ll continue to improve next year.” The Texans pick 13th in the draft, but a source close to the team says outside linebacker and wide receiver may be priorities ahead of left tackle.
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFL/AFC/AFC+South/Houston/WWHI/default.htm
 
I am shocked noone mentioned our lack of defensive penetration and inability to get to the QB.

I think Our LB problems are not that bad. But that is why im out here and Casserly and Capers are in there.
 
outofhnd said:
I am shocked noone mentioned our lack of defensive penetration and inability to get to the QB.

I think Our LB problems are not that bad. But that is why im out here and Casserly and Capers are in there.


well considering that R. Smith, S. Payne, and Gary Walker all have pretty new contracts, and they are pretty nice ones so i doubt the coaches have any intentions of them not starting on the DL for us next season.
 
Yes they will start but we have yet to go through a season where all 3 have been healthy enough to really make the impact we want from our starting DL.

Not to mention after our starting 3 the backup talent dropoff is staggering. We need to definately grab some young DL soon or we are goin to have the same problems we have been having on our frontline.

Sears and DeLoach just were not the answer.

Iaone has flashes of great play but is inconsistent in his play.

We need to bring in a fresh crop of DL and let them push our "well paid" starting 3 as well as push our backups to do more than they have been the last 3 years.
 
thats a horrible article they talk about players that have already been signed including joey porter who was signed before greenwood, so no excuse.
 
El Tejano said:
I think this is pretty old news though.

Posted 3/26/2005 10:27 PM

That is when the article hit USAToday.com.

While the article may have just posted, I do to agree that the editor/writer should have updated some of the talk including the Burress and JERRY PORTER (not Joey Porter).
 
Inside Slant Article

Inside Slant
Wide receiver Corey Bradford found no takers in the free agent market and decided his best option was to stay put with the Houston Texans.
Bradford has seen his role in the Texans' offense diminish the past two seasons and now he'll be paid as a No. 3 receiver after agreeing to a one-year deal worth $800,000 that includes a $150,000 signing bonus.

Bradford, a seven-year veteran who led the team with a career-best 697 receiving yards in 2002, saw his role reduced after the Texans selected Andre Johnson with the third overall pick of the 2003 draft. Bradford caught just 51 passes for 859 yards over the past two seasons combined.

The Texans were not overly aggressive in their attempts to re-sign Bradford, an unrestricted free agent. He visited the Lions and Giants before deciding his best fit was to remain with Houston, where he will likely be the third option for David Carr behind Johnson and fourth-year pro Jabar Gaffney.

"The Texans had a better record last year than the teams I was looking at," Bradford said. "We've gotten better every year, and I think this is the year we're going to do it - the playoffs and everything. This is going to be that year, and I'd like to be a part of that."

Bradford's new contract is a bargain for the Texans, considering the team gave him a three-year, $5.25 million deal with a $1.8 million signing bonus when it signed him as a free agent in 2002.

Bradford was the No. 3 receiver in Green Bay for most of his first four years in the NFL before he was signed during the Texans' inaugural season. He proved to be a legitimate deep threat for the Texans, averaging 16.2 yards a catch, but the team often struggled to get the ball into his hands. Since Johnson's arrival, Bradford has caught more than three passes in a game just once.

"I talked to coach (offensive coordinator Chris) Palmer and (receivers coach) Kippy (Brown), and they told me we were putting some new wrinkles in the offense that would give me more opportunities to do what I do best, so I feel good about that," Bradford said. "Also, my parents are getting older, and I want them to be able to see me play. They're only four hours away (in Clinton, La.). I just felt good about doing a one-year contract, seeing what happens and maybe hitting the market again next year."

DRAFT STRATEGY — Unlike past years when it was clear how the Texans would use their first-round pick, there is plenty of uncertainty about what to do with the No. 13 overall selection. This much is certain: They won't use the pick on a quarterback.

It's no secret the Texans need pass blockers, pass rushers, cornerbacks and another wide receiver. The team has done little to improve itself in free agency, so the draft will be critical.

The highest priorities are to find a big-time left tackle and improve the pass rush. The Texans could choose to find an upgrade over Seth Wand, who moved into the starting lineup and had an up-and-down season. Although it wouldn't be the sexiest pick, the Texans could opt to take Alex Barron, a 320-pound offensive tackle from Florida State.

The pass rush has been among the league's worst the past three seasons. Wisconsin's Erasmus James, LSU's Marcus Spears and Maryland's Shawne Merriman, both of whom played end in college, have caught the team's attention. If the Texans don't use a first round pick on a pass-rush specialist they will do so later in the first day.

Finding a complement for Pro Bowler Andre Johnson is also a must. Too many times Johnson was neutralized by opponents and the Texans did not have another big-play threat to keep defenses honest. South Carolina's Troy Williamson or former USC wideout Mike Williams would fit nicely into the Texans offense and give quarterback David Carr another legitimate scoring threat.

The Texans could use some depth at cornerback considering they play the pass-happy Colts twice a year and starter Aaron Glenn will turn 33 in July. Dunta Robinson is an emerging star and Demarcus Faggins continues to make a case for more playing time and is the starter at nickel corner. West Virginia's Adam "Pac Man" Jones could solve their problem at corner and be used as a kick return specialist, another sore spot the past few seasons.

Even with the presence of Domanick Davis, a 1,000-yard rusher in each of his first two NFL seasons, the Texans could elect to take another running back. After Davis the roster is iffy with injury-prone Tony Hollings and Jonathan Wells.

Finding depth at inside linebacker and on the defensive line will also be priorities in the late rounds.

It's a long shot the Texans will move up in the first round, although general manager Charley Casserly has a history of making draft-day deals.

NOTES, QUOTES

—Coach Dom Capers weighs every game on the schedule equally. But there's no question which games mean the most: AFC South Division games, especially against Indianapolis.

Despite a franchise-best 4-2 division record, the Texans have yet to beat the Colts in six meetings.

"I thought we made tremendous strides within the division (with a 4-2 record)," Capers said. "Obviously, Indianapolis still sets the standard within our division. They've been one of the best teams in the league the past few years."

—Houston city officials met with the NFL in New York on April 14 to review their initial bid proposal to host the 2009 Super Bowl.

"We think it's a very strong proposal," Texans owner Bob McNair said Tuesday. "We're going to have to do even more this time than the last time, but we're prepared to do that. I know the NFL knows we can perform. We just have to convince them that this is the place to be in '09."

Houston, Atlanta, Tampa and Miami are the finalists to play host to Super Bowl XLIII. Final bids must be submitted May 2, and the league's owners will vote May 25 at the NFL summer meetings in Washington. Houston and Atlanta are considered the early favorites to win the bid.

Unlike in 2000, when the NFL awarded the Super Bowl to Houston after McNair paid $700 million for the Texans' expansion rights, McNair expects some tough competition.

"They owed me one the last time, and I paid for it. I had some assurances there," McNair said. "Now we are competing with everybody. Now we have to realize we don't have an inside track as we did before. We've got to go out there and give the NFL the best possible proposal."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I get more excited each year because we are getting better. We were very close to the playoffs last year. We've said we want to win the Super Bowl. Well, you can't win the Super Bowl without going to the playoffs. I figured that out a long time ago. We've got to get to the playoffs." — Texans owner Bob McNair.
 
Good article...Really nothing in there that I can dispute...Bradford seems like a good guy, but this is likely his last year here and I'm not sure he'll even be our #2 this year...
 
Makes me think the Texans arent going WR at #13 with some of the comments Corey made.

I dont think he would come to Houston to be pushed aside by a rookie again.
 
bradford has a 1 year contract and it takes rookie wideouts about a year to develop, it sounds like they are setting up to take a wide out early.
 
Finding depth at inside linebacker and on the defensive line will also be priorities in the late rounds.

The thought of drafting Thomas Davis to play ILB does not sound too good right about now :(
 
I'm not positive, but I think Hopkins has restructured his contract to allow him to stay in Tennessee...
 
New Inside Slant Report:
Texans Inside Slant Link

Inside Slant
One offseason move that did not receive much attention is the signing of unrestricted free-agent inside linebacker Zeke Moreno.
Moreno went largely unnoticed this offseason after he missed the final seven games of last season with a dislocated shoulder. After two years as the backup to Junior Seau in San Diego, Moreno had a career-high 95 tackles and two sacks in 12 starts at middle linebacker for the Chargers in 2003.

Moreno said he is completely healed from the shoulder injury and is participating with the team during on-field coaching sessions through June.

"It's just great to get a new chance, a new beginning," Moreno told the Texans' website. "I'm here to work."

With the addition of Moreno, the Texans have an experienced group of veterans at inside linebacker. Coach Dom Capers expects a tough competition for backup spots after an offseason shuffle led to the release of starters Jamie Sharper and Jay Foreman, the team's leading tacklers, the acquisition of free agent Morlon Greenwood and the move inside by Kailee Wong.

"We'll have more competition on our football team this year than we've had since we've been here," Capers said. "If you have that, you're normally getting better. The first two or three years we've had very little competition in some areas because of our numbers. But I think we'll have better competition this year than we've had at any point in time since we've been in business."

Moreno has a growing reputation as a solid run stopper. He'll also have an advantage of playing in a 3-4 scheme with the Chargers last season.

"I'm an instinct player," Moreno said. "It comes down to studying tape and knowing your opponent."

NOTES, QUOTES

—The Texans are hoping for better results from punter Chad Stanley, who struggled through last season with a knee injury. Stanley finished with a 41.2-yard average on punts in 2004, his lowest since joining the Texans in 2002.

Stanley has been one of the most consistent punters during the last three seasons, leading the league with 91 punts inside the 20-yard line.

—The selection of Jerome Mathis in the fourth round, the offseason pickup of Reggie Swinton and the trade for Phillip Buchanon will likely the end the two-year tenure for return specialist J.J. Moses. Mathis and Buchanon are the early front-runners to return punts, while Swinton has been one of the league's most consistent on kickoffs in recent years.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think Travis is a smart enough guy to know that he has to come in and earn their respect. In this league, nobody is going to give you anything, whether you're the first pick in the draft or a free agent. It's a society of productivity and if you go out and produce, you'll earn respect." — Texans coach Dom Capers on first-round pick Travis Johnson.
 
i think Zeke Moreno might turn into one of our best pickups, even if he is a backup ILB, a run stopping ILB is what we need, and it wont hurt to have someone like him. i mean 95 tackles in 12 games, if he average what he did through 12 games he would of ended the year with 126 tackles, i mean thats not to bad, and he still has a good amount of better years ahead of him
 
I too like the Moreno signing and the dropp off at MLB is no longer a huge gap. Now just sign Boulware and we are good at the OLB too.
 
Newest Inside Slant:
LINK

Inside Slant
Dave Ragone once went through an entire 7-on-7 drill without completing a pass, which takes some trying.
There had been little progress in Ragone, a left-handed throwing quarterback from Louisville selected in the third round of the 2003 draft, that there were whispers the team might dump him.

So he went to Europe this offseason out to prove his critics wrong. In the process, Ragone's stock is on the rise after capturing NFL Europe's Offensive Most Valuable Player for guiding the Berlin Thunder to the World Bowl.

Ragone finished the regular season as the league's highest-rated passer in the NFL's developmental league with a rating of 97.1, 15 points higher than the closest competitor. He also leads the league in passing yards (1,698), touchdown passes (13) and completion percentage (62.9).

Ragone has thrown just two interceptions in a league-high 178 pass attempts and has a streak of 131 passes without a pick.

Ragone needs to extend his streak by 25 passes to tie Ron Powlus' five-year-old league record.

"Coming over here, I knew I wasn't playing the highest NFL-caliber (competition), but that wasn't a big concern for me," Ragone said. "It was more about being able to prove to myself that I could lead a team to win.

"It's not the Super Bowl, but any time you're playing for a championship, I don't care if it's pool, golf or tennis, it can only help you down the road."

The Texans decided against sending Ragone overseas after his rookie season, choosing to let him get experience in the team's system during offseason workouts in Houston. A year later, Texans coach Dom Capers and offensive coordinator Chris Palmer huddled and decided the only way for Ragone to make significant progress was to get some extended playing time.

Other than a brief two-game cameo appearance as a rookie due to injuries, Ragone has been the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart behind David Carr and Tony Banks. His performance likely gives him the upper-hand in the expected training camp competition with B.J. Symons for the No. 3 job. Ragone also has improved his positioning to take over the backup job in the future with Banks signing on a year-to-year basis.

"It's hard to tell if you're progressing," Ragone said. "You sit the whole time, and you just wonder."

Ragone still wants a shot to be the No. 1 quarterback for an NFL team. His performance in NFL Europe could open the door for a trade. Or teams could just wait. Ragone will be a restricted free agent after this season and an unrestricted free agent after 2006.

"Naturally, you think about that stuff, but to be honest I told myself, that's the last thing I was going to be concerned about," Ragone said. "We talked about coming over here and getting better."

NOTES, QUOTES

—The Texans signed free agent wide receivers Kevin Kasper and LaTarence Dunbar.

Kasper has 24 career catches for 297 yards and three touchdowns. He has played for four teams in four seasons, most recently the Patriots.

Dunbar was released by the Browns in training camp last season after playing in five games for the Falcons in 2003.

—"It was like the first day of training camp my rookie year. We didn't know anything." — Texans quarterback David Carr on taking classes this offseason to learn more about Type 1 diabetes, which his oldest son, Austin, was diagnosed with in February.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "There are a couple things in life I'm good at. This isn't one of them. I think I swing the golf club better." — Offensive lineman Chester Pitts after taking practice prior to a Houston Astros game on June 10. Quarterback David Carr won the competition with seven home runs.
 
Inside Slant
Fourth-year wide receiver Jabar Gaffney most likely won't be ready for the start of training camp because of left shoulder injury, coach Dom Capers said.
Gaffney is rehabilitating after needing surgery to repair the rotator cuff in his left shoulder in April.

With emphasis on keeping pressure off Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Johnson, the Texans are eagerly awaiting Gaffney's return.

"Jabar made a lot of plays for us last year, especially on third downs," Johnson said. "So without him being there right now, other guys just have to step in and see if they can pick up some of that. I'm pretty sure he'll be ready when it's time to come to Buffalo (in the season opener) and play."

Last season, Gaffney ranked sixth in the NFL for converting 82.9 percent of his receptions into first downs. His 41 catches tied his season high set in 2002, and his 632 receiving yards were a career high.

"(The shoulder injury) was something I was playing with during the season, and I kind of fell on it in the last game, and that's when it really started hurting," Gaffney said. "It was the kind of thing where it could have healed up on its own or I could have the surgery."

Gaffney said he considered not having surgery but was advised to undergo the procedure to ward off any future problems.

"I could have probably gone without it, but it could have been a thing where if I took a lick on it, I could have injured it again," he said. "So I just went ahead and repaired it."

The Texans return their top four receivers. Johnson led the team with 79 receptions, Gaffney finished with 41, Derick Armstrong had 29, and Corey Bradford had 27.

NOTES, QUOTES

—The Texans are in search of consistency. Last season, they won four of their first seven games but only three of their last nine.

Arguably their best game was a 21-0 victory at Jacksonville. A week later, they looked like a different team against Cleveland, losing 22-14 on the season finale.

"We start off pretty strong and we do pretty well, and then we slip off and fade away," quarterback David Carr said. "We were in the top 10 in offense, the first part of the year. And then the second part, we were in the teens and I think even 19th was where we were at the end.

—Quarterback David Carr wants to keep building on what the offense accomplished during the off-season, when the Texans' remodeled passing game was installed. To do so, Carr plans to work with a couple of receivers during the break before camp begins in late July.

"You don't want to start all over again," Carr said. "That's the whole key, to not lose any ground. Obviously, there are going to be things where your timing might not be that synced up, but I'm going to do as much work as I can with the wide receivers that are around."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "There will be some games when they will try to take Andre away or do take Andre away, and there's nothing you can do but have somebody else make plays." - Texans receivers coach Kippy Brown on Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Johnson.

LINK
 
Quarterback David Carr wants to keep building on what the offense accomplished during the off-season, when the Texans' remodeled passing game was installed. To do so, Carr plans to work with a couple of receivers during the break before camp begins in late July.

Somewhere Ibar is kneeling on a prayer mat facing toward Indy.
 
A good read but I think they exaggerate how "on the bubble" Ragone was. Why can't people write a story without trying to push up the dramatic effect?
 
Hervoyel said:
... Why can't people write a story without trying to push up the dramatic effect?
Maybe while they state the obvious, they want to add a little pizazz for interesting journalism. :)
They try to state the same thing so many different ways... haven't we heard them all anyway?
 
LINK
New update:

Inside Slant
Steve McKinney has played left guard before, a fact the Texans are keeping in mind while discussing how to align their offensive line for the upcoming season.
For now, McKinney is the Texans' starting center. His ability to play left guard, which he did in college at Texas A&M and the first four years of his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts, is an interesting option the Texans explored during a recent mini-camp at Reliant Park.

The Texans would like to put their five best linemen on the field to protect franchise quarterback David Carr, who has been sacked 140 times during the past three seasons.

"That's a last-case scenario," McKinney said. "I'll do some in training camp, just working at it. But that's a last-case scenario."

If McKinney moves to left guard, Chester Pitts likely will return to left tackle. Pitts spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons at left tackle before moving to left guard last year. Seth Wand would move into a backup role. The question would then be who replaces McKinney at center? Todd Washington, an eight-year veteran, likely would start there. He was primarily used on special teams last season and hasn't played a full game at center since 2001 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Rookie Drew Hodgdon also has taken a number of snaps at center in the offseason and impressed the coaching staff with his quickness, but he likely needs more time to grasp the system.

"Whatever they give me, I have to work with," Washington said. "And whatever I don't get, I have to watch film and understand the actual plays so that when I have to go in there, there won't be any drop-offs."

McKinney is entering the fourth year of a five-year, $15.5 million contract.

"I'll do whatever," he said. "Probably by me moving to guard, I can make more money. If they want me to move to guard, I have no problem with it but it's not something that's necessarily a plan. It's Plan B."

NOTES, QUOTES

—Second-year outside linebacker Jason Babin turned some heads in the small northeast Texas town of Center this offseason.

Babin made the three-hour drive from Houston in a four-car caravan, which included a tricked-out Ford Excursion and an H2 Hummer.

"We came to the light in the main part of town, and there was a cop at the red light as we turned," Babin told the Houston Texans web site. "He just looked at us and you could tell he was thinking, 'Well, you ain't from around here.'"

Since then, Babin has met his new neighbors after purchasing a 435-acre tract of land he has named "Babin Ranch."

Babin's plan is to turn the ranch into a hunter's paradise. The land has been stocked with a variety of exotic animals, such as zebra, rams, antelope, wildebeests and kudu, as well as deer, elk and buffalo, according to the web site. There is also a lodge, built from the timber on the property, complete with three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a bunk house and a game room. Babin hopes to host hunting parties of up to 10 people beginning in early September.

"A lot of places just offer the hunt," said Babin, the No. 27 overall selection in the 2004 draft. "We want to offer the whole atmosphere, the nice walk-in cooler, the nice lodge, the pool table, the big-screen T.V. Everything is first-class."

In addition, Babin wants to construct a 25-acre lake on the land and stock it with different types of fish. He also plans to build a 30-acre hog pen and possibly buy more land adjacent to the ranch to form separate areas for African game, white-tail deer and other animals.

His site is available for viewing online at www.babinranch.com.

— The Texans agreed to terms with sixth-round draft pick C.C. Brown. Brown, a defensive back from Louisiana-Lafayette, signed a three-year deal worth $1,000,300 that included a $75,300 signing bonus.

During his senior season, Brown collected 101 tackles and forced three fumbles, one of which he recovered. He was also the defensive MVP at the Hula Bowl

QUOTE TO NOTE: "When you start looking at your gameday roster, you only have 45 players. To improve your football team, you can't carry a guy that doesn't give you much on gameday. A guy that maybe is a backup guy is just a security guy. So if a guy can do two or three things for you, then his value goes up." — Texans coach Dom Capers on the importance of versatility.
 
If Todd Washington starts we are in big trouble. I'm not even sure he makes the team this year. I have him on my early cut list when it comes to the final roster.
 
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